a lectionary resource for Catholics

Appearance Over Content?

How important are
appearances to other? How important are appearances to you?

In the 1960's, a critic of
popular culture proclaimed, "The medium is the message." In many
ways, his prediction has come true. Many television outlets
emphasize style over content. Media marketing reveals the masses
prefer to watch attractive people who report the news with flashy
computer graphics. Appearances are as important as content. In some
cases, appearances confuse content. (When was the last time you saw
a local news program blow a small issue out of proportion?)

Why are we fooled by
appearances? Why are we lulled into complacency by the calm before
the storm? (Remember September 10th?) Why are we tempted to give up
when the world finally comes crashing down around our ears? Focused
upon the end of the world, Jesus addressed these questions in Luke's
gospel.

Popular Translation

5 In the Temple, some
of Jesus' followers exclaimed, "Look how this building is decorated
with beautiful stones and people's decorations!"

6 "Everything you see
here will soon be gone!" Jesus replied. "A
day will come when a stone won't set upon another stone in the
Temple. Every stone will tumble down!"

7 "Teacher! When will
this happen? And, how will we know it's about to happen?" they
asked.

8
"Watch out so you're not fooled," Jesus told them. "Many
will suddenly show up and exclaim 'I'm the one you're looking
for!' and 'The time for God to come is near!' Don't follow them. 9
When you hear of wars and revolutions, don't be afraid. These
things need to come first, but the end will not happen right
away."

10
"Nations will fight each other," Jesus continued. 11 "There will be large earthquakes.
People will be sick and starve in many places. There will be great
and terrible things from heaven.

12
"But before all this happens, people will chase you, arrest you, put
you in jail, and drag you before judges and kings, just because you
follow me. 13 This will be the time to tell everyone about me.

14
"Don't make up your minds now how you will defend yourselves. 15 I
will give you the words and the wisdom you will need. Your lying
enemies will not be able to stand up and speak against you."

16
"Your parents, family, and friends will betray you. And some of you
will be put to death. 17 Everyone will seem to hate you because you
follow me. 18 But you will be safe with me. 19 If you endure these
times, you will gain eternal life."

When people commented on
the glory of the Temple, Jesus prophesied doom to shake them from
their spiritual slumber. Then he assured his followers of divine
help in the time of trial.

Literal Translation

5 When some said about
the Temple that it was adorned with beautiful stones and votive
offerings, HE said, 6 "(Concerning)
these (sights) that you see, days will come in which stone upon
stone will not left upon another, (stones) which will be thrown
down (from its place)."

7 They asked HIM,
saying, "Teacher, when will these things be? What sign (will be)
when these things are about to happen? 8 HE said, "Watch
so you might not be misled! For many will come in my name, saying,
'I am (the one)' and 'The right time is near.' Do not follow them!
9 When you hear of war and civil unrest, do not be afraid. For
these things need to happen first, but the end (will) not (happen)
immediately." 10 Then HE said to them, "(They)
will rise up, nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom. 11
There will be large earthquakes in various places, (as well as)
famines and plagues. 12 Before all these (things happen), they
will get their hands on you and will persecute (you), turning
(you) over to synagogues and prisons, bringing (you) before kings
and (Roman) rulers on account of my name. 13 It will go for (as an
opportunity) for (your) testimony. 14 So, set (clearly) in your
minds not to prepare beforehand (how) to defend (yourselves). 15
For I will give you a mouth and a wisdom which all those lying
against you will not be able to stand against or to speak against.
16 You will even be turned over by parents, brothers, relatives,
and friends. They will put you to death. 17 You will be hated by
all on account of my name. 18 A hair on your head will not be
destroyed. 19 By your endurance you will gain your lives."

21:5 " . . . Temple that
it was adorned with beautiful stones and votive offerings." The
"beautiful" stones are the fine stone out of which the building was
built. The "votive offerings" are decoration placed on the Temple.
The disciples were awed with the Temple itself, not additions made
to the building.

21:12 The main verbs of
this sentence ("they will get their hands on you (i.e., arrest you)"
and "persecute you") has two results: 1) turn over people to
synagogues and public prisons and 2) put them on trial before kings
and Roman officials. This verse leads up to 21:13, the opportunity
to witness.

21:16 "(The authorities)
will put you to death." The subject of the sentence is actually
"they" which could refer to the trial authorities in 21:12b or to
the family-friends in 21:16a. One or the other (or both!) could put
the believers to death. In some cultures at the time, a patriarch
had the power of life and death (especially over family members who
disgraced the family).

21:18-19 The proverb in
21:18 seemed to contradict 21:16b; some would be martyred for the
faith. The verse can be taken spiritually (the martyrs will enjoy
heaven). Or, the verse can refer to the survival of the community
itself. 21:19 echoed the sense of 21:18. It can refer to the
afterlife of the individual or the survival of the community.

Throughout time, people
have taken spiritual comfort in sacred times, sacred places, and
sacred events. In the time of Jesus, the Temple was THE spiritual
center for Jews. It was the only place of sacrificial worship for a
people that lived throughout the known world. It's priestly
institution had a central place in the Torah, the Jewish Law. The
Temple represented the core of Judaism that had lasted for
centuries.

However, many people have
confused sacred times, places, and events with a relationship with
God himself. They define faith by these times, places, and events.
To many Jews traveling with Jesus, the lavishly rebuilt and adorned
Temple was a sure sign God was with his people. But, as Jesus
pointed out, appearances were deceiving. [21:5-6] "What is here
today," Jesus seemed to say, "won't be her tomorrow." With the
destruction of the Temple by the Romans in 70 A.D., the prophecy of
Jesus came true.

With his comment, the ears
of Jesus' followers perked up. For centuries, Jews had awaited the
coming of Judgment Day, when God would save his people and his wrath
would fall on those who persecuted Israel. Prophets great and small
had included a corrupt Temple priesthood with those who oppressed
the people. With the fall of the Temple, God's kingdom would finally
come. Now Jesus maybe would speak on the end. "Is this the end?"
they seemed to say. Then, his followers asked him for details. "What
sign would precede the end?" [21:7]

Jesus began with the last
question first. The sign his followers sought might be a cosmic or
world-changing political event. Or, it could be a person. Many have
preached in the name of Jesus ("come in my name") only to line their
own pockets with contributions or to flatter their own egos. Many
charismatic leaders have been proclaimed "the Christ" ("I am he" or
"The time is right.") only to fall. [21:8a] (A second great Jewish
revolt against Rome in 130's A.D. was led by a charismatic leader
proclaimed the Messiah by the chief priest in a liberated Jerusalem.
In the end, the Romans recaptured the city and killed the leader in
a desert cave that overlooked the Dead Sea.)

As many people have sought
comfort in religious institutions, others have sought comfort in the
prophets that doom the institutions. Those zealous for the doom
prophets did not heed the wisdom of Jesus to watch and wait. In the
face of righteous mob or the burning issue, Jesus taught patience.
[21:8b]

Prophets of doom point to
historical calamities (wars and revolts) and cosmic disasters (great
earthquakes, famines, pestilence and "signs in heaven" like solar
eclipses and comets) as signs of the end. Jesus taught that wars and
revolts would at first shake the great "Pax Romana" (the forced
peace in the Roman Empire) and undermine social order; but this
would not be the end. [21:9] Upset in the social order would be
followed by cosmic disaster. [21:10-11]

But before the signs
marking the end (indeed, as a sign that marked the end), Christians
would be persecuted in general (i.e., throughout the known world).
For their belief in Jesus' name, Christians would be arrested and
tried in court. This test of faith was also an opportunity to
witness to the court officials and to the public at large. A general
persecution would be a massive evangelization campaign. [21:12-13]

How do Christians prepare
for coming problems? They don't, according to Jesus. The Lord
himself will provide the eloquence and the wisdom in speech that
cannot be contradicted or overcome. [21:14-15] The only response one
can make to coming troubles is trust in the Lord.

Christian faith divided
families and friends as well as nations. Indeed, if the verses were
read backwards, the first sign of the Lord's coming would be the
stress in families and social circles, then within nations, and
finally in the natural order. But, Jesus began from the universal to
the personal to make a point; even personal distress was a sign of
the Kingdom. Such personal persecution could even lead to death at
the hands of family and friends. Such was the hatred of the
Christian faith; such was the power of Christian witness. [21:16-17]
This thought leads to a distressing insight. If we do not have some
problems in our lives because of our Christian faith, are we
effectively witnessing to others?

The costs were high but
the faith would continue. Not only would the individual martyr see
the Lord in heaven, but the Church would flourish in persecution.
[21:18-19] Persecution was a key reason the Church grew at a
tremendous rate. People desired the calm trust of the Christian, the
great love of the follower even in the face of death.

Catechism Theme: The Second Coming

675 Before
Christ's second coming the Church must pass through a final trial
that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that
accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the "mystery of
iniquity" in the form of a religious deception offering men an
apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from
the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the
Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in
place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh.

The second trial before
the end of time is like the sin of Adam. People try to play God;
they put their trust in others rather than their creator. As the
Church teaches, we should beware of the easy solution, the
charismatic leader who has the answers, or the means to manipulate
that we cannot control. There are no short cuts to salvation. Our
opposition to the easy way, our witness to the power of God, will
lead to persecution. But our trust in God will engender faith in
others.

Have you ever been
impressed by the unwavering Christian witness in another? Who was
it? Why were you impressed? Did he or she face hardship? How did
they endure the hardship?

How impressed are we with
appearances? After all, media, Hollywood, and much of computer
software are built on appearance. Sometimes, we Americans are swayed
and even hood-winked by appearances. There was calm before the
storm. Then, there was a panic with a world that failed us. Are we
lulled by calm? Are we surprised by panic?

The challenge Jesus put
before us is clear vision. Can we see beyond the crises of life and
nation? Can our faith help us to withstand the challenges of these
uncertain times? With God's help, we can.

Pray this week for the
strength to see clearly. Look at the world at large, or at your
world. Try to see beyond the troubles and look for God's will. Trust
your prayer will be answered.

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